Now that I am in the throes of the (fifth? sixth? seventeenth?) draft of my MS, I can reminisce fondly about the good old days, the days of the first draft. I've read on a lot of these blogs how so many writers absolutely loathe their first drafts, but I'm in the opposite camp.
I love them.
I think I love them because they are still that daydream...there is still that excitement over what will happen next, that utter delight when I am surprised by the paths my characters take. My favorite way to figure out storylines is when I am driving~I put on the radio, and just let my mind wander. (The right music definitely helps.) And then, my mind savors that plot, or dialogue, or chracterization~whether it be in the shower, right when I wake up, or jogging~and I can't wait to jot it down on paper. What really helps me, when drafting, is to just type away, all in lower case, as fast as I can. I try and imagine my scene, much like a movie scene, and just type what comes into my mind. That seems to work very well, and I can get really authentic dialogue if I am really open.
However. First draft, is not where I am at.
As I polish my MS, at this point, it seems like it is scarier because it is getting all so real--people are reading this, my words, with the intent to sell, for the very intent of other people reading and buying my words. And while that thought is exciting (exhilarating! dream fufilling!), there is an element of fear attached. The leader of our critique group mentioned the other day that at this level, what people tend to do is fear success. And as scary as it can me, I can not, will not, let that happen to me.
I will be brave.
I love them.
I think I love them because they are still that daydream...there is still that excitement over what will happen next, that utter delight when I am surprised by the paths my characters take. My favorite way to figure out storylines is when I am driving~I put on the radio, and just let my mind wander. (The right music definitely helps.) And then, my mind savors that plot, or dialogue, or chracterization~whether it be in the shower, right when I wake up, or jogging~and I can't wait to jot it down on paper. What really helps me, when drafting, is to just type away, all in lower case, as fast as I can. I try and imagine my scene, much like a movie scene, and just type what comes into my mind. That seems to work very well, and I can get really authentic dialogue if I am really open.
However. First draft, is not where I am at.
As I polish my MS, at this point, it seems like it is scarier because it is getting all so real--people are reading this, my words, with the intent to sell, for the very intent of other people reading and buying my words. And while that thought is exciting (exhilarating! dream fufilling!), there is an element of fear attached. The leader of our critique group mentioned the other day that at this level, what people tend to do is fear success. And as scary as it can me, I can not, will not, let that happen to me.
I will be brave.
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